Air quality alerts ease in Ontario, Quebec after days of Prairies wildfire haze
Social Sharing
Environment Canada says air quality has improved across most of Quebec and Ontario as changes in wind and rain ease the situation east of the Prairies, where wildfires continue to rage.
The federal department lifted alerts for most parts of both provinces on Sunday after two days of poor air quality warnings and a haze that hung over cities, including Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
But special air quality warnings or statements remain in place for some areas, including communities east of Montreal, south of Quebec City and in parts of northern Ontario, especially those near the Manitoba border.
Poor air quality continues to envelop the Prairie provinces this weekend, as swaths of six provinces and the Northwest Territories are experiencing poor air quality and reduced visibility due to forest fires.
Environment Canada says a low-pressure system passing through the Prairies and into Manitoba and northwestern Ontario by Monday is expected to bring rain to areas hit by the out-of-control blazes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
37 minutes ago
- CTV News
Peace River Regional District in B.C. northeast issues new evacuation order
Wildfire smoke is seen on Highway 97 north of Buckinghorse River, B.C., Friday, May 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nasuna Stuart-Ulin
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Combined fire now approximately seven times the size of Winnipeg: province
Fire WE017 near Sherridon, Man. on May 27, 2025. (Submitted: Manitoba government) Two wildfires that have combined are now approximately seven times the size of Winnipeg, according to the provincial government. Fire WE017, located near Sherridon, Man., was reported on Sunday to be about 307,781 hectares and out-of-control — the largest in the province. A provincial spokesperson confirmed that the previously numbered fire WE024 — which was reported to be nearly 38,000 hectares near Flin Flon on June 4 — has combined with fire WE017. As of June 5, the province began reporting the collective size of both fires. The fire has placed several communities under a mandatory evacuation. Meanwhile, the provincial government said in a media release that fire EA061 is approximately five times the size of Winnipeg. The fire is approximately 203,720 hectares and out-of-control, stretching from Bird River to Bissett, Man. The Manitoba Wildfire Service continues to respond to 28 active wildfires in Manitoba, according to the media release.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Drizzle in northern Manitoba not enough to quench wildfires as community leaders hope for downpour
Social Sharing As evacuees fleeing wildfires in northern Manitoba watched rain fall in parts of the province on Sunday, community leaders are warning the north needs heavier downpour to help firefighters on the ground. Lori Forbes, emergency co-ordinator for the Rural Municipality of Kelsey, said Sunday's rain didn't fall where it was needed most. "We did get the rain in The Pas but we need the rain in the north. We need the rain where the fires are to help the firefighters," Forbes said. She said The Pas was about 100 kilometres away from the fire on Sunday afternoon. According to the province's most recent fire bulletin on Sunday, the wildfire near Sherridon is more than 300,000 hectares in size and is still out of control. "The further north you went, the less rain there was," Forbes said. The eight-degree temperatures are helping fire crews, she said, but it's windy and the weather is "changing very quickly." Flin Flon Mayor George Fontaine said he has been staying with his son in Winnipeg since the northern Manitoba city was evacuated nearly two weeks ago. Fontaine told CBC News that Saturday was a cooler day with calmer winds, allowing crews to wet down areas near the town and put out some hot spots. However, the weather and fire behaviour has been unpredictable, he said. "I don't know that we can say what's going to happen, but I'm hoping for rain, I'll tell you that," Fontaine said from Winnipeg, as a heavy downpour was hitting the pavement just before 4 p.m. CT. "Well, if they got there, what we're getting here today, that would be a lovely thing," he said. Sheryl Matheson, Sherridon's deputy mayor and president of Northern Association of Community Councils, said there was light rain in the area that caused a lot of smoke. "It wasn't a significant amount of rain that was coming down. It needs to turn into more of a downpour," she said. She said the drizzle has been keeping the ground wet, but it isn't enough to help crews battling the fire. "We're praying for a downpour," Matheson said.
